Abstract

The most investigated irregularities of the menstrual cycle are: delayed menarche, infrequent menstruations (cycle occurring every 40 days or longer), frequent menstruations (cycle occurring less than every 20 days), primary and secondary amenorrhea. In view of the complex and varied framework in which abnormalities of the menstrual cycle are to be regarded and since the literature is lacking in studies on team sports, which are the most largely practised, we have decided to study 187 girls practising basketball, at competitive level during the 1989 edition of the "Decio Scuri Trophy" in which regional teams from all over Italy participated with athletes aged between 14 and 16 and selected among the best at regionale level. As a control group we used a group of student girls from Rome (71 subjects) who didn't practise any sport. The sample was submitted to anthropometric evaluation and body composition was also assessed. Training procedures, the age of menarche, the characteristics of the menstrual cycle and its possible correlations with sport activity and the occurrence of dysmenorrhea were investigated through a self-administered questionnaire. From the anthropometric point of view, athlete's height proved to be in the highest range of reference percentiles and this was the major difference with the sedentary group (p<0.001). The difference in weight is less significant (p<0.05) and this is evidence of a more advantageous weight/height ratio for the group of athletes. The percentage of body fat is significantly lower (p<0.001) in basketball players. Training procedures are comparable to those adopted in other team sports for the same age-range and they can cause, as such, advantageous adaptations of weight/height ratio and body composition with respect to subjects who are not engaged in regular sporting practice. As to the age of menarche and the regularity of subsequent cycles, despite the early starting age of sport practice, no statistical differences have been found between the two groups. On the contrary, it is interesting to point out the data regarding the occurrence of dysmenorrhea, which is less frequent among athletes, maybe because the motivation arising from sport practice helps to reduce the psychological component certainly involved as a complementary cause in the etiology of this condition, especially during adolescence. In conclusion, the early-started practice of team sport at competitive level during adolescence helps achieve and maintain a more advantageous weight/height ratio and body composition. The early starting age and the specific training programme do not cause any disorders in the menstrual cycle. It is evident, however, that what has been started above cannot be extended to other sports having different training procedures and morphological biotype, and that any investigation on athletes' reproductive system cannot leave a careful study of the training programme and of the functional patterns of the sport activity out of consideration. Verf.-Referat